The first Poverty Truth Commission in County Durham began in the spring of 2024.
Fifteen Community Commissioners (individuals with lived experience of poverty) were recruited from Ferryhill, Shildon, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe. These areas were chosen due to their status of ‘left behind neighbourhoods’, that is, places which face the double disadvantage of high deprivation and a lack of social infrastructure.
View the Left Behind Communities map here
From September 2024, Community Commissioners and project workers met fortnightly to begin to build relationships, develop trust and start to share stories and experiences of poverty. Read more
From January 2025, preparation for the launch event stepped up, and meetings moved to weekly. Our community commissioners are a great bunch of individuals with experiences of many issues such as addiction, being a care leaver, homelessness, the asylum seeker process, domestic abuse and many others. Read more
The launch event in March 2025 was attended by over 100 people from businesses, charities and organisations across the County. Read more
Since the launch event in March 2025, Community and Civic Commissioners have been meeting monthly to build relationships and identify themes Read more
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